Liquid-level indicator



Dec. 21,1926;

F. R. PROCUNI'ER LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR Filed Dec. 15. 1923 self-,contained unit; adevice: which niay,`,ii desired, be connected with; the' filling spout! ,FRAltX'R. Pnoonnrneor`orrrcneogfinnrnois;Assiettes To erro nenn, or f 'v CHCAGOJTLL'NOIS-J A l Manin-nennt ,NnicA'rosf v f oa liquid eontainedwithin areceptacle.k may be e edvantegeouslyv employed in many j diii'erent cepa lities, 4 notably in connection"V with the 'iuel' tank of an aiuto1nob1le f It lis @primary objectovinyiinvention vto provide en alarrn deviceri vof this A general kind, the components of, which t constitut eY aV of atenlrto serve lad ditionally., asma V'et-ip therefor; -a device Whose operation lna'yrbe regulated, as desired, so as` to audiblyindL eatefthe'presence of minimum predeter-k mined voluineoif liquidfwithin a'ieceptael'e;` and adevioe Whose operation may be shut off at will, should g suchl ,bei desilfed.

' For purposes `oi exemplification, compe-.nying ydrao'ing presents any embod'i ment oi* rnv-'invention in the" manner iol! lowing:

Figure l` v automobile fuely tank :to [which t devicel 1s apphedg-v l l, i ,t Fig. i 2y 1s an enlarged yvertical sectionY vthrough the device, showing its relation .to

is en end view of conventional the adjacent ,tank portions@ Withwvhichyitco-operates;

f Fig. 3 1s atrensv'erse sectiontherethroughy tfilrenapproxiniately -on line Sf-oiigrQ-g;

"Figa l showsa. sideelevation view there,-` ofi, H1 'A Y llhe device fl's'here shown Inv relation toa?.

`tional type used in automobiles. A- ltinoludes stallation thejpresentdevice v-be advan; tageously. associated Wi'ch suchV spout, al;

though'the purposes of niy invention would be 'fully served by .locating theundiezrtor-:r

elsewhere.

v The several somtSonents of. nivfin'vention:

are V"corfiprised vinV a seltoontainedjun hrw@V lng'V a chainbered head-1 3 -Ac'onnefo ed onithev head is, e downwardly' extendin'gneok 4 headl and b he 'presentlrjav depending guide C, vpreferablyiinthe fornil offa. cylindrical"bodygasshown Fornied ably oonnectedtoV theV guide meinb'er in a, re- 1 Y inovable manner: as by means of ,one oi* more pins-11 kextended inwardly from its ,ne/elif'V een engaging Within a ,bayonet cam slot 'l2 which is`provided;inv-theiupper end oir-the f body. Bydsonie suchineansas this, the

o dy ofthe device are connected 'inunitaryrelation.y, f i

Extendingnupwardly frorntheheed is nil-g circular flanged.. Wall l5v surrounded by a 65 slip-ring or vrotatable CollerV 16'V whose. outerVV e "is .preerably serrated; for convenience t v in gripping. v llhen)headisjfurther chaml 'v bored vto accommodate an, al'arin device:

ywhich V'preferably comprises a housing '2070 offer whihfis mountedado1n e;shaped bell :41,` la suitable spring actuated apparatus 'for i ringing the bellbeingzenelosed inthe inten vreni-iig',sparge; Suehan apparatus may of any'conventitmal` kind-including. a spring v 75 22- adapted to .be placed under tensionl byV rotation of the belhfand connected" through4 y suitable f gearing,l Van 'escapemenu ete.'7 lwith a -haininer 23 which'` isl 'adapted to vibrate against the bell. v Asls'ueh a bell ringing-'ap- `80V paratus is Well known,V no'ifurther descrip-'' .tionfthereof is deemed neeessary. r1tshouldv V ibe noted, however, that thisalarni device' has a seltconta'ined operating mechanism, and

may be seoured Conveniently' in place` by the; 95 use-of, one orv more screws 24, as shown;

`Referring nowto Fig.A 3,-'1 have shown' a' slot 25 rformed through the upper head Wall l5, fand extending through thisv slots a, finger' 26 oerried b'yithe slip ringVA 16.1' The in- 90 ner end-offthis linger s' located relative to' the harnrneir 1n a manner itointer'fere With v .its 'operation Whenever ,thejring yis .so vlvro` Stated as to'. nrovethe finger to the .YY-position Y indicated*by-fdotted-lines;; ySuch a relation- 95` shpgofthe parts is *eimternplated: Whenever the ring isflnanipulatedto u'nserew -the head froin the spout,prelirninetryV to v'removal the device "fromA the tank.

' I'alsogprovidel; orgleontrollifng'the alarm 10oV "lmensjwvhh Willberesponsiveto Withclrebrg-.` al"Ofiliquidgfroin the ltank beyond a mini-f muiIi'-, Ypredetermi*ned vfvffolurne, jan'd ,Ilforn this 'purpose employe Irod or Wirefll whieliefzt-y A tends Vcentrally' through the guide member-to ,10?

" l0 threaded tQ'em-agefwith the'spout .7, fior j l ythejp'urpose o'iee'uringLtheV-dvioe yina linedV reletion'to the "talrilrgr The.' headr'is 'prefer-y fav-A position of adjustment thereupon. Suitable markings 34 may be provided on the rod Y to assist inv determiningthe correct position of the float in relation'to the minimum volume of liquid Within Vthe tank desired for. operation of thealarm. Near its upper end the rod is laterally extended, as at 35, and then is bent again vat 36 to present an upperV V extremity 37 which passes through a suitablev cri .against its seat.

opening y mer 23 (see Fig. 3).

As shovvn, the guide memberV is preferably in the form of a closed cylindrical body open only at its loiver end where an inwardly turned flange is provided. Arranged adjacent the under side of this flange I have represented a valve disk ll1 formed With one or more openings 4l2Yof restricted size. ln .the central portion'of the diskV is 'a nipple 4.3 through ivhichis guided the lower end of the rod 30.V The disk may be held centrally with reference to the body as by means of a plurality of upwardly extending arms 't each disposed adjacent the inner face of the flange 0, an voutward extension being providedl at the extremity of each erm, shown. ByV some such means as this,

the diskis limited in its sliding movements awayY from the flange 40. elwayghovvever, the disk is in axial relation with respectto the float so as toproperly guide theV lower extremity of the rod 30. Upon the lower Yside of the disk maybe carried a coiled spring e6 adapted to rest against the tank bottom so as to yieldingly hold the valve disk VAn indicator answering to the preceding description may be conveniently secured within a suitable spout that is preferably located on the upper side of a tank or receptacle. In screwing the head to iinal' position, the slip ring 16 Vis normally rotated tofreinove 'the' fing-er 26 from engagement with the hammer so that thev alarm Will be free to operate when the' volume of liq uid has diminished to the predetermined point. llilith insertion of the device Within the tank, the spring 46 Whichds restedl against the tank bottom, as sliovvn in 2, acts to hold the valve disk to itsfseatyso that communication With the 'body interior" may onl be throiih the' restricted ojenin r ..7 v h 12. vThe float will remain in theV uppermost position permitted by engagement of the rod bend 36wvith the head, this relationship of the parts continuing `until a suiicientjquan tity'of liquid hasbeen drawn from'V the tankA to cause a lowering of thefioat.V` Therod i ezrtreinityI 37 is also held constantly in ad-V Vjacent relation to the hammer so as to pre-V vent its operation under the action of the spring 22; vWhen the float recedes' from thisA uppermost position, the rod 30 will also fbe lowered with thel result that its upper eX'-V treniity is then` clear of thehammer. At this 0 in the head to lie adjacentV the ham- Amoment, ther ringing `apparatus Will.

commence to operate. .The alarm thus given Will be informative of a Vdiminution in vol.- uine of liquid Within the tank to the point which has been predetermined by the adjustmentof the float upon therod.l

Y Should the` deviceV be installed in a filler K Yspout.,-as represented in thedravving, its removal will be requiredV for the replenishment of the liquid supply. lt is desirable that theliquid `which supports the float Within the chambered guide member should be quickly drained therefrom and this is assured by the opening movement of the valve Vdisk 4:1 which takes place immediately upon its spring breaking YcontactY With Vthe tank bottom. After replacement of the device, liquid may enter the body only through the,

from the tank to observel the Wet line there' upon.

l(Iolaim: if l "1. In combination with a receptacle having a screw-threaded filling spout, a chambered head formed for threaded connection With the spout, a slip ring on the head havn* ing a finger extending into the chamber ther-eof, an alarm .device lincluding a selfcontained voperating mechanism positioned Within the head chamber and adapted to operate When the slip ring is rotated to present the fingerin one position but not other#V Wise, and means extending froml the head in;- Wardly of the receptacle,y ii'icludingr a float,

and a connection therefrom to theoperating mechanism adapted to permit functioning thereof only when the liquid'vlevel has descended to a. predetermined point,substan tially as described. f

2. In combination with a liquid receptacle having a filling opening,y a closure head removably fitted thereto, a bellhaving a selfcontained operating mechanism positioned on the outer'headjside, guiding means reinovably fitted tothe under head side and adapted toeXtend into the receptacle, and

float controlled means slidablyv associated with vsaid guiding' means vand' having a part Yextending tov the bell operating mechanismV adapted to control the-action thereof, said part being freely disengageable from'the Ybell operating mechanism .to facilitate re-a` movalofthe guiding means from the closure head, substantially as described.

i il() frenan n. rnocuiiirvii.- f i 

